A lifelong Queen fan, Gary Mullen knew his Freddie Mercury impersonation was on point. But, after he won the U.K. competition show “Stars in Their Eyes” in 2001, he made a career of it.

The successful solo outings led to the “One Night of Queen” show with his band, The Works, in 2002. The collective was the realization of Mullen’s dream. 

“I wanted a rock band for quite a while,” said Mullen, who lives in Scotland. “I wanted to do a proper stage show, a proper concert. We’ve been doing it ever since.” 

“One Night of Queen” plays two shows in Arizona: 7:30 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 1, at the Celebrity Theatre in Phoenix, and 7 p.m. Sunday, Aug. 2, at the Fox Tucson Theatre.

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“It’s two hours of pure rock ‘n’ roll — two hours of fun,” he said. “We call it a ‘rock ‘n’ roll party’ because we want people to come and have a good time, dance and sing. It’s basically two hours of Queen hits and two hours of fun.”

“One Night of Queen’s” authenticity piqued the attention of the legendary band’s guitarist Brian May, who claimed “you certainly share with Freddie more than a likeness.” 

Mullen’s talents go beyond concert halls. He has recorded voiceovers for radio, television and video games. In 2011, Mullen’s vocals were used for a Japanese TV commercial for the brand Nissin Cup Noodles featuring Mercury’s 1985 solo track “I Was Born to Love You” music video with Mullen’s vocals. 

“One Night of Queen” poses several challenges, including maintaining an effervescent energy level for two hours or more, with an intermission. 

“I need to keep myself fit because it’s a demanding show,” he said. “That also means I have to keep the audience’s attention. They don’t want to see you looking tired because they’ll lose interest. 

“They will start looking their phones or walk out. Keeping that energy full-on during the whole show can be tough — especially if it’s show three or four. We wind ourselves up in the wings like the old Evel Knievel stunt cycle. We turn the minimal thing, press button and take off. It’s hell [bent] for leather. Let’s go.”

This 2026 round of shows have come about at an interesting time, Mullen said. It’s the 40th anniversary of Queen’s final tour with Mercury. 

“They never came to America with it,” he said. “So, I thought we would do that tour. Let’s show the American public what they’ve probably only seen on DVD or video.

“The beginning of the second half is a greatest hits package. We wanted to do a tour that never came to America. It’s special for us.”

Mullen said his love of Queen grew organically. He saw the “Champions” video, with Mercury dressed in a black-and-white leotard with lights and smoke filling the set. 

“I was like, ‘Who are these guys?’” he recalled. “I became a lifelong fan. This career came along by accident, I suppose. It’s been great fun. It’s nice to go out and sing these songs every night. They’re challenging, but it’s a performance.”